Generative Theory of Segmental Duration in English

This paper presents a framework for predicting the durations of phonetic segments in English sentences. The rules have been developed to work within the transformational cycle described by Chomsky and Halle. It is assumed that the rules of word‐level phonology produce a set of basic phonetic segments, each having an inherent duration. Stressed and unstressed vowels are assigned different durations and are subject to different rules. Consonants appearing in prestressed position within a word are given durations that are longer than the durations of the same consonants in other phonetic environments. Other rules shorten segmental durations in consonant clusters, in multisyllable words, and in certain syntactic environments. Silent pauses are inserted at some types of syntactic boundaries and a prepausal lengthening rule is applied. Other related phonological processes involving aspiration and allophonic variation are discussed. [This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and the U....